When global warming
triggers the onset of a new ice age, tornadoes flatten Los Angeles, a
tidal wave engulfs New York City, and the entire Northern Hemisphere
begins to freeze solid.

Now, climatologist Jack Hall, his son Sam, and a
small band of survivors must ride out the growing super storm and stay
alive in the face of an enemy more powerful and relentless than any
they've ever encountered: Mother Nature!

Commentary

This was one of those big
summer popcorn spectacles that I missed in theaters but had a good time
with on DVD, D-Theater, and now Blu-ray. It reminds me a lot of
Emmerich's previous offerings (ID4) in scope and seriousness. There are
plenty of cool special effects, action, and intense moments to never
leave you bored, but like ID4, it can be a bit over the top at times,
and a bit campy.

Technical

As I mentioned before, I've owned this on several different formats, but
the only fair comparison would be the D-Theater version. This was one of
the better D-Theater releases from Fox (probably because it was so new
at the time), and it's a pretty solid Blu-ray release. Detail is quite
good throughout, especially fine detail, and the image has a nice sense
of depth to it. Contrast can be a bit lacking at times, and the blacks seem
slightly elevated. This is only in the darker moments of the film, but
it collapses the image a bit and makes it appear slightly flat. I also
noticed a touch of banding in a few instances. Overall though, this is a
good-looking HD release and just a bit short of a reference transfer.

Well, I have a processor in for decoding DTS-HD Master Audio, and I am just
awaiting shipment of the Blu-ray player to go along with it. Until then
I am still stuck with the core DTS mix, which isn't shabby at all. The
low bass is almost another character on this release it's around so
much. And I mean LOW bass. The kind that can hurt drywall. From the
opening credits on there are some ominous infrasonics and a very active
soundstage. Surrounds are used aggressively to put you in the moment,
especially during the storm sequences. I love the sound design of this
film, which has plenty of dynamics and nice balance.

Extras

Fox delivers some solid
extras on this one. There are two feature commentaries, deleted scenes,
a trivia track on global warming, the trailer, and an interactive game on
global warming. The game wasn't that great, but it's nice to see Fox
trying to take advantage of the Java capabilities of Blu-ray.

The second installment to
this terrifying franchise centers around three young American women who
are studying in Rome. A gorgeous, sophisticated European acquaintance
invites the trio to join her for a weekend getaway at an exotic natural
spa, assuring them they will be able to relax, rejuvenate, and bond. The
girls find themselves in Slovakia and check into the ill-fated Hostel,
where they are poised to become victims for auction, pawns in the
fantasies of the sick and privileged from around the world who secretly
travel there to savor more grisly pursuits.

Commentary

This film starts right where the
last one left off, but it's almost a straight carbon copy of the first.
You have friends who are lured to a Hostel and systematically kidnapped
to become victims to a bunch of rich sickos.

The film is inventive in
its torture and gore, but unless you like to watch people get
tortured or gutted in various ways, there isn't much here to see of
interest. This uncut version is evidently even more gruesome than the
theatrical version. Probably has something to do with the gunning down
of children or castration.

Technical

While the content may not have much
going for it, the transfer certainly does. This is a very contrasty
image with deep, deep blacks and whites that can be slightly overdriven
at times. The stylizing adds a lot to the image, and the dimensional
quality is striking. Colors are also quite nice, with rich tones and
detail. Even the blood looks REALLY good (as sick as that may sound).
Fine film grain is resolved nicely, and I didn't see any signs of
compression issues. Detail is superb, and the image is very sharp and
very detailed throughout. A strong offering from Sony.

The soundtrack is presented in
uncompressed PCM 5.1, and is full of atmosphere. The front soundstage is very
wide and open, with great balance between the subtle details and the
dialogue. The rear soundstage is constantly active and does a great job
of conveying mood and adding to the sense of peril during the more
intense sequences. Bass is a big factor in the ominous score and is deep
and rich. Dynamic range is solid throughout. One of the better horror
soundtracks I've heard lately.

Extras

Extras include deleted
scenes, some production features, a gag reel that is pretty gross,
interviews, and three separate commentaries.

Cruise plays Dr. William
Hartford, who plunges into an erotic foray that threatens his marriage -
and may even ensnare him in a lurid murder mystery - after his wife's
admission of sexual longings. As the story sweeps from doubt and fear to
self-discovery and reconciliation, Kubrick orchestrates it with
masterful flourishes. Graceful tracking shots, controlled pacing, rich
colors, startling images: bravura traits that make Kubrick a filmmaker
for the ages are here to keep everyone's eyes wide open.

Commentary

I think this film always got a bad
rap. For one, it's a thinking film that doesn't dumb itself down for the
sake of the audience, and it's one of my favorite films about the doubt
and jealousy that can plague relationships.

The journey takes its time,
offering some titillating scenarios, but it also shows the downward
spiral that some fantasies and escapades can lead to. A must-see in my
opinion, and a welcome collection to the HD library.

This version contains the uncut
version. The box says it contains both, but only the uncut version is
accessible for some reason. The film isn't any longer. The CG characters
are removed from the walk through later in the film at the house. It
blows me away that someone actually thought the sexual images in this
film were so bad that they warranted CG characters blocking the imagery
yet no one has an issue with the extreme violence that I see repeatedly
in horror and action films. I guess it would be the end of the world for
our children to see the nature act of sex, but everything is hunky-dory
when they see someone hack someone to pieces with an axe or worse. We
live in ridiculous times.

Technical

I saw this film on opening day in
theaters. I later had the chance to see it on DVD and on cable in HD.
This is by far the best presentation I've seen so far, but don't expect
gorgeous HD imagery. This has always been a very stylized movie with
plenty of noise and filtering. The picture has always had a hazy quality
to it that is exaggerated by the lighting used on the sets. Detail is
better than I thought it would be here though, and the depth of the
image is excellent. Despite the rather noisy image, compression never
seems to be an issue. Contrast is also balanced well. Fans of this film won't be disappointed.

Warner decided to put an uncompressed
PCM soundtrack on the Blu-ray release and a TrueHD soundtrack on the HD
DVD release. Both sound the same, but the Blu-ray release is slightly
louder at the same volume level. Despite the 5.1 mix, this is a very
front heavy soundtrack. But the front soundstage can be quite open.
Dialogue is clear and timbre is matched well across all main channels. I
loved the dynamics of the film's musical selections and what they added
to the otherwise dry soundtrack. The same can't be said for the score,
which is somewhat muted and distant.

Extras

Extras include a great
retrospective on Kubrick and this film, and A.I., the film eventually
shot by Spielberg. It features some interesting interviews with the cast
and other Hollywood heavyweights. There is also a feature on movies that
Kubrick was gearing up to do. It really is a shame that this master
filmmaker had to pass on. The supplements from the original DVD are also
included, such as interviews and the trailer.

The perfect bank robbery
quickly spirals into an unstable and deadly game of cat-and-mouse
between a criminal mastermind, a determined detective, and a power
broker with a hidden agenda. As the minutes tick by and the situation
becomes increasingly tense, one wrong move could mean disaster for any
one of them.

Commentary

I was really surprised when Universal
didn't release this on HD DVD back when it premiered on DVD. This was
one of their better releases from last year and a solid thriller from
Spike Lee. The film has plenty of twists to the plot, and the acting is
first rate. I've really been impressed with the last few movies from
Spike Lee, who has been going away from his early style of filmmaking.
If you haven't had the chance to see this one yet, it is definitely worth
checking out.

Technical

This is a good looking transfer from
Universal. The source is in very good shape, which is what I would
expect from a newer film such as this. Detail is excellent all around,
but the stylized nature of the photography keeps this one from being one
of those ultra sharp standout HD transfer. Nothing wrong with that, just
noting it.

Contrast is excellent, and I was particularly impressed with
the level of shadow detail and the lack of noise in the darker
sequences. Some of the interrogation footage has some clipped whites and
minor noise, but this was also the case during its theatrical run. The
image has a very dimensional quality, thanks in part to the contrast, but
also the visual style. I don't think fans of the film will be
disappointed.

Universal includes a nice Dolby
TrueHD soundtrack for this one. This soundtrack is a nice balance of all
elements. The dialogue is clean and devoid of any strain. Balance across
the mains is exceptional, creating a very open front soundstage with
nice panning from channel to channel. The surrounds do a
nice job of creating a realistic soundscape and giving you the sensation
of being in the room. Dynamics are good, but this isn't a big action
movie, so don't expect too much here.

Extras

Extras are in line with the
DVD release and include deleted scenes, a feature on the collaborative
efforts of Denzel and Spike Lee, a feature commentary, and a production
feature.

Based on characters
designed by Katsuhiro Otomo, three bike racing teenagers born on the Moon
uncover a terrible secret about the fate of their original home world
earth and seek to uncover the truth from Eden, the organization that
governs the moon colony.

Commentary

Like most anime releases, Freedom is
a series based release, with each episode coming out individually on twin
format HD DVD discs. These are the first twin format discs I've used on
the format so far. Essentially you have one layer of the dual layer disc
in the HD DVD format (HD-15) and the other layer is a standard DVD
(DVD-5). In the setup menu of all HD DVD players, there is an option for which layer
you prefer to use. Obviously I chose the HD DVD layer. This series was
released as part of a marketing campaign for Nissen noodles, the famous
"Cup of Noodles" brand. You see the product quite a bit during the
series, but it doesn't dictate anything. This reminds me of the BMW
films.

I've only had the chance to watch the
first two episodes, but so far this is a lot better than I was expecting.
The story is interesting enough, and the animation is more than
acceptable, and barely below the higher budget Anime films. If you are a
fan of Anime in any way, this is a series worth a look.

Technical

Each disc has one episode on it, and
each episode is just short of a half hour in length. The animation style
is typical of most Anime series releases, with detailed backgrounds mixed
with hand drawn characters and some CG elements. Detail is quite good in
the characters and not bad in the backgrounds. Some of the wider shots
are on the soft side though. I did notice some banding from time to
time, but it's rare and usually in transitional shots. The biggest
annoyance are the random jaggies and stair stepping you see in some of
the animation from time to time. This is probably a limitation of the
production, but it caught my eye quite a bit. While nowhere near as bad
as most video games out there, it is annoying enough. Color rendition is
excellent though, and the balance of contrast is exceptional. Even though
this isn't CG animation, depth of image is surprisingly good at times,
even during the hand drawn segments.

The audio is delivered in its
original Japanese language and is encoded in DD+ 5.1. It is a very
active soundtrack during the underground racing sequences and has some
interesting sound design. While not nearly as intense as the pod race
sequence from Episode 1, it has its moments with some nice panning
effects and low end presence. Dialogue matches with the onscreen action
well, and the balance across the main channels is quite good. Overall,
the disc was more than I expected from a release like this.

Extras

These discs are a standout
in terms of special features, despite being short.

Stomping, whomping,
stealing, singing, tap-dancing, violating. Derby-topped teddy-boy
hooligan Alex has his own way of having a good time. He has it at the
tragic expense of others. Alex's journey from amoral punk to brainwashed
proper citizen forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shock
vision of Anthony Burgess' novel. Unforgettable images startling musical
counterpoints, the fascinating language used by Alex and his pals -
Kubrick shapes them into a shattering whole.

Commentary

Surprisingly, this is one of my least
favorite Kubrick films. It is easy to see how many other films it has
inspired (including a personal favorite of mine, Trainspotting),
but the pacing and humor of the movie make it a bit to whimsical for my
tastes and seem to distract from the point of the film.

It reminds me a
bit of Natural Born Killers in this sense, where dark humor
overshadows the rather disturbing aspect of the subject matter. I love
the photography of the film though, and the acting is superb. Kubrick's
films have always had a hit or miss quality with audiences, and I can see
why so many are divided from film to film. This one left me wanting
more.

Technical

The visual style of this film is
interesting. It has a very 70's glam look going for production, which
makes for a very colorful presentation. Lots of reds, greens, and blues. The image looks detailed enough in tighter shots but
loses a bit in longer shots. The print is in excellent condition though
making this a surprisingly clean and artifact free presentation.

There
is a bit of a hazy quality to the image, and contrast is generally
lacking, but depth of image doesn't suffer nearly as much as I would
have expected given these attributes. Overall I would say it's is a very
good presentation of this stylized film, but fans of crisp razor sharp
imagery will most likely be disappointed.

Like most of Kubrick's films, this is
a very front heavy mix. The film's score widens up the soundstage a bit,
and lends some dynamic heft, but the surround soundstage is largely
unused. I was impressed with the presence offered by the film's score,
especially the classical music selections, but the dialogue was a bit
disappointing. The voice work is on the shrill side and can be a bit
fatiguing. There is even some hiss that accompanies the already bright
dialogue. I don't know if this is a limitation of the production or the
quality of the master, but it was distracting. The narration doesn't
suffer the same fate, as McDowell's voice is lower.

Extras

Extras include a feature
commentary with McDowell and a historian. You also get a feature on
the film and its effect on Hollywood and cinema, as well as a production
feature. The trailer is also included.

1959. Friday nights. We
time-traveled. Witnessed surprising twists. Entertained aliens.
Experienced fear. And first journeyed to The Twilight Zone of Rod
Serling's memorable TV series. And guided by four imaginative
moviemakers, we traveled there again in 1983.

Directors John Landis,
Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller fashion stories based on
or inspired by classic episodes. Landis weaves the tale of a bigot who
gets a walloping dose of his own hatred. Spielberg takes over with a
fable of senior citizens offered a magical rejuvenation. Dante serves up
a terror trip with a child who uses his cartoon-inspired power to
enslave his family. Then fright goes aloft with Miller's finale about a
neurotic passenger who sees a monster on a jetliner's wing. Or does
he?

Commentary

This was one of my favorite TV series growing
up as a child. Sure, a lot of these stories are a bit intense for a
young one, but that didn't stop me from watching them. I find it
unbelievable that this is the first time Warner has released this gem on
DVD. Thankfully, they released it on HD as well. All four short films are
excellent in their own right. My particular favorites are Spielberg's
and Miller's. Spielberg's has a majestic feel to it and as I've grown
older I can appreciate the magic and the message more and more. Miller's
is a classic case of terror and fright. Even to this day it's a scary
ride. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has problems with flying! A
must have for film and horror fans alike.

Technical

I really didn't know what to expect
from this one. It's been awhile since I've seen it, and I think the last
few times I did it was on TV. The source element seems to be in pretty
good shape. There is some film grain and some occasional print noise,
but otherwise it is cleaner than I would have expected.

Detail wavers a
bit from scene to scene. Close-ups look good, but longer shots can be on
the softer side. Contrast is the biggest weakness. Black is not
something you'll see on the screen with this one. Instead, you get more
of a gray, lending to the rather flat look in darker moments. Film grain
is also heavier during these times. Colors have that 80's look to them,
a bit washed out. It definitely looks the way I remember it, but it's a
far cry from some of the better looking HD transfers from older films.

The soundtrack has been retooled for
5.1, and both versions get a TrueHD soundtrack to boot. There are some
rather hokey panning effects at times, which some people may or may not
like. The soundstage is a bit on the front heavy side, but you can tell
they did what they could to get some use out of the surrounds. Dynamics
are limited, and the sound design definitely shows its age. The bottom
end is there when it needs to be, but it sounds a bit on the forced
side. Dialogue sounds good for the most part, with only some slight
strain. While the mix does show its age, it was better than I was
expecting.

Extras

Surprisingly, the only extra
is the theatrical trailer. I was expecting to see something along the
lines of a retrospective, given the talent that went into this
production.

In the near future, Detroit slowly becomes the spawn-ground for crime.
Private companies eventually seize control of local law enforcement to
ensure a secure urban pacification program. Just assigned to the Metro
West Precinct, Officer Alex Murphy is beaten by a gang. At
the same time, a young visionary executive, Bob Morton, seizes the
chance to create the perfect cop. The near death Murphy is used as the
subject.

With his memories erased, he is resurrected as Robocop, the
future of law enforcement. As he sweeps away with crime, case by case,
he eventually becomes involved with the gang that killed him and his
ex-partner. All of this triggers dormant memories of his past life as
he searches for who he really is, and uncovers a conspiracy going deep
into the company that created him.

Commentary

Watching this film now, it is unbelievable that my parents let me see
this when I was in junior high school. I saw it during its theatrical
run and LOVED it. But I was an action junkie like the rest of the boys
my age. The film still stands up after all these years, though it's
another film with an interesting look on what our "future" may bring.

This Blu-ray release features the uncut version of the film, which is
quite a bit more violent than the already ultra violent theatrical cut.
Personally, I didn't see the need for the extra gore and thought the
theatrical cut was about as far as it needed to go. You still get the
point, and it doesn't overshadow the action or story as much.

Technical

I don't think I've ever seen this
movie look "good". It's always looked a bit on the soft side, and the
special effects don't help much. The HD presentation gets rid of a lot
of the noise we saw with the DVD releases, but detail is only slightly
improved. The image still has a hazy quality to it, and film noise and
grain are still quite evident. I think it would take a lot to make this
film look really good, and I don't think we'll see it anytime soon. This
is better looking than the Criterion release I owned before, but it
doesn't hold up as well against the other HD releases on the market.

The soundtrack is delivered in DTS-HD
Master Audio, and again I was a bit underwhelmed. The sound design is
quite aggressive, but the constraints of the dynamic range and age of
the production hold it back. There is still plenty of action to liven
things up, but the bass isn't what I remembered it to be. The soundstage
is still pretty active, with nice use of the surround environment, and
dialogue isn't annoyingly bright or edgy. While not a total
disappointment, there is definitely room for improvement.

A familiar-looking group of teenagers find themselves being stalked by
a more-than-vaguely recognizable masked killer! As the victims begin
to pile up and the laughs pile on, none of your favorite scary movies
escape the razor-sharp satire of this outrageously funny parody!

Commentary

I was never a big fan of this film.
It is essentially a parody of Scream, but it takes jabs at other
popular horror films and pop culture novelties as well. The second film
was better in my opinion, and then it went REALLY downhill from there.
I am not one who likes this type of comedy, and I've never been much
on parodies.

Technical

I guess this release is tailored
around Halloween, but I'm not positive on that. The video presentation
is decent, but has some glaring issues at times. For one, it's obviously
gone through some noise reduction filtering. A lot of detail looks pasty
at times, and close-ups seem to suffer the worse. Whites are overdriven
on occasion and this hurts detail even more.

Consistency isn't this
transfers strong point. Colors are good for the most part, but contrast
is on the weaker side. While it is a step up from its DVD counterpart,
it pales in comparison to the HD presentation of the fourth installment.

A 5.1 PCM soundtrack is included, and
for the most part it's fun. There isn't anything that stands out in
general, but there isn't really anything bad about it either. Dialogue
always sounds clean, with no obvious distortion, and it's balanced with the
main channels well. Surrounds are used mainly to enhance the score, but
there are some occasional discrete effects. Since this is a comedy
release, I wasn't expecting too much on the soundtrack side, and that is
exactly what I got.

Consider Mr. Brooks a successful businessman. A generous
philanthropist. A loving father and devoted husband. Seemingly, he's
perfect. But Mr. Brooks has a secret: he is also the notorious
Thumbprint Killer, and no one has ever suspected it . . . until now.

Commentary

I was lucky enough to see this one in
theaters this summer and enjoyed it immensely. It got a lukewarm
reception at the box office, and frankly I'm surprised. Solid thrillers
are hard to come by these days, and this one had far more right than
wrong.

Costner turns in one of his best performances in years (which is
saying a lot considering he is still one of the most underrated actors
out there) and Hurt is also brilliant as his split personality.

There is
some weakness in the side plots, but the dynamic of the split
personality, the pacing, and the twists more than make up for it. One of
the best thrillers in recent times.

Technical

MGM hasn't been releasing much lately,
aside from some uncompelling catalog releases. This new day and date
release features one of their best A/V presentations to date. This film
just barely missed a reference score. I saw a few hints of blocking in
some very short segments that just knocked it down a pinch. Otherwise,
this is a gorgeous HD presentation with some of the best detail I've
seen to date.

I think there will be some naysayers who will complain
about the darker look of the image. The blacks are slightly elevated but
more realistic to what the photography would reveal in low light. Shadow
detail is still exceptional though, as is depth. Colors are bold without
being blown out. Again, the level of detail you see in the transfer is
nothing short of jaw dropping. Bravo to MGM on this one.

This film gets the typical MGM/Fox
DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Overall, I liked it quite a bit, but
there are times when the dynamics are a bit much. Normally that isn't an
issue, but some of the brief action scenes in this film are recorded and
presented FAR louder than the rest of the film. While this does wonders
for the "jump" effect of the thrills, it is a great example of being
mixed a bit too loud in comparison to the rest of the track. Ambience is
superb throughout though, and I loved the subtle use of the surrounds to
lend to the atmosphere. Bass is tight and heavy when needed. The film's
soundtrack also lends a lot to the mood and thrills of the show. A very
solid audio presentation.

Extras

Extras include a feature
commentary, deleted scenes, some production features, a trivia track, and
the theatrical trailer.